Meet the Band
Pat Schwent

          Pat is a retired high school band director from Jackson, Missouri. She has been playing professionally since the age of thirteen when she joined her family's band. She taught both conventional music and Jazz at Jackson High School where she retired as head band director in 2001 after a thirty-year career. Her students were noted throughout the state for their musical abilities and she boasts of fifty-two members of All-State Jazz and Concert bands. Pat is a member of several other area bands including a swing orchestra, popular combos, and a Dixieland band. She has also performed with the music shows in Branson, Missouri and is well known in the bi-state area around St. Louis.
Pete Parysek

          Pete received his musical training at San Jose State University. He has performed at the Reno Riverside Casino and Harrah's Lake Tahoe Showroom as well as clubs in San Diego and Palm Springs. Pete has played with such notable entertainers as Tommy Smothers, Andy Griffith, Jerry Van Dyke, Desi Arnez, Tex Ritter, Leon Pettis, Red Norvo, and Jesse Davis. He retired several years ago after a successful career in real estate and joined forces with Pat in April 2001 to form the Saxy Jazz Duo.
Mark Ellison
 Mark Ellison


          Mark Ellison is one of the most accomplished percussionists in the Midwest United States and is Director of Bands at Fredericktown, Missouri.  He attended Southeast Missouri State University and the University of North Texas (the premier university jazz education program in the country), where he earned degrees in both Music Education and Music Performance. Mark has played professionally throughout the world with Stella Parton, Ink Spots, Four Aces, Harry Beckett trio, Art Langston trio, and International Bible Society recording projects. He has conducted wind ensembles and concert bands at state music conventions and is also sought after as a percussion clinician at universities in several states.  His repertoire of styles is seldom matched by even the most famous drummers.
Sam Godwin

          Bassist Sam Godwin received his under graduate music training at Southeast Missouri State University and studied privately with bass legend Jim Widner. He is a professional brass instrument restoration technician. He is accomplished on electric and stand up bass as well as sousaphone. He excels at jazz, blues and rock styles and has played with Clark Terry, Mike Metheny, Wayne Goins and El Buho. Sam has performed with groups at the Edinburgh, Scotland Military Tattoo and was a bass soloist at the Edinburgh International Jazz & Blues Festival. When not playing with the Saxy Jazz Quartet, Sam also plays with several blues and rock groups in Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois.
Kristin Schweain

          Kristin (Swinford) Schweain made the Saxy Jazz Quartet into a Quintet in June of 2006. She studied both classical voice and piano at Depauw University School of Music, Missouri Baptist College and Belmont University. Since 2000 Kristin has been recording and touring nationally and abroad with the Christian pop/rock trio ZOEgirl. They soon became the fastest selling debut artists in “Sparrow Records” history. In 2002 the threesome accepted the Gospel Music Association’s New Artist of the Year Award. The girls have released seven albums over the past seven years and a string of radio hits. ZOEgirl has toured with such acclaimed Christian artists as Clay Crosse, Carman, Avalon, Plus One, Newboys and Jump 5. Jazz is one musical genre that Kristin cites as an influence in her song writing. She is a long time enthusiast and fan of jazz greats Ella Fitzgerald, Diana Krall and Jane Monheit. Kristin is currently writing for a solo project that she plans to release in 2007.
Chrissie Icaza

          Chrissie Icaza has been singing as the Motown style vocalist in the Saxy Jazz Transitions (Pat Schwent's Classic Rock Big Band) since January. Since the age of eight, she has been singing opera, jazz, and classical music around the world. She has been a featured performer in the Operafestival Di Roma in Rome, Italy, and has toured with Terry Thompson’s Roaring swing band in Las Vegas and Atlantic City for the last four years. In November 2004, Chrissie was chosen as a semi-finalist in Hollywood during the fourth season of American Idol. Since then, she has been recording songs for her upcoming album due out in July. Chrissie is a former Miss Missouri Teen America and was chosen 2nd runner up at the Miss Teen America Pageant. She currently resides in St. Louis where she works as a Senior Therapeutic Specialist at Barnes Hospital.